Political Scienceat Carthage College
Graduates earn $24,259/yr in their first year — about 34.0% below the national Political Science average. Base-case 10-year earnings $398K; scenarios range from $391K to $385K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at Carthage College
While the detailed tables show the financial outcomes, it’s important to understand the context. Carthage's Political Science and Government program, as a broad liberal arts degree, often sees graduates enter diverse fields in the local Kenosha/Milwaukee area. This includes roles in local government, community organizations, and advocacy groups, which typically have different starting salaries and growth trajectories compared to federal policy analysis or corporate government relations roles found in larger metropolitan centers. The program's strength lies in developing critical thinking and communication skills, which are transferable, but often require you to build specialized expertise through internships or further education to command higher salaries. Given the high AI risk for many generalist analytical tasks, actively pursuing internships and potentially a complementary minor in economics or data science can be crucial for enhancing your marketability and long-term earnings potential.
Three scenarios, ten years out
Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.
10 year projection
Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Carthage College's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.
Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.
Peer schools offering Political Science
How Carthage College stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at Carthage College
Other highest-scoring programs offered at Carthage College, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Consider the trade route
Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Political Science offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.
Compare Political Science trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →Frequently asked about Political Science at Carthage College
How does Carthage College's Political Science program score?
This program scores 26/100 — on the lower end for Political Science. Prospective students should carefully weigh costs against likely earnings.
How vulnerable is Political Science to AI automation?
AI won't 'replace' Political Science careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 50% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.
Why are Political Science earnings lower at Carthage College?
Lower starting pay at Carthage College may reflect local labor market conditions rather than program quality. Many graduates see convergence with national averages within 3-5 years.